Kings XI cruise but CSK assured of top two finish

Put into bat first, Watson Perished early by virtue of an inside edge off Sam Curran, Which saw Watson stumps uprooted. His 7(11 ) 1x4 didn't disturb Faf at the other end by any means, As CSK were already 30-1(4.1) when Watson got out. Faf and Raina put together a solid 150 run stand with some delightful shots to their credit. Both of them reached their half-centuries to mark their 11th and the 38th score of 50 or more, Respectively.

CSK had touched 150 at that point and the second wicket fell in the fourth ball of the seventeenth over. Raina got cramped for the room while facing Curran and tried to help the ball fine, Hit it straight to Shami at 45-who gobbled it up. Although Dhoni came in at number 4 today, The next twenty balls saw only 20 runs coming from CSK. There wasn't any usual blitz from Dhoni

A firecracker Yorker from Sam Curran brought an end to heavenly innings by Faf du Plessis, As the ball got rapped on the pad and then went on to hit the stumps. Unfortunately, the current South African captain had to miss out on what could have been a deserving first IPL ton. Faf's 96(55) had 10 fours and 4 sixes. His wicket fell in the fourth ball of the penultimate over.

Despite having "Last over specialist "Dhoni, Shami managed to bowl a 5 run over and amazingly pick up wickets of Rayudu and Jadhav. Rayudu scored a single off the first ball he faced (18.5). When he came back to strike for the second ball of the last over, He hit Shami's delivery straight to deep Mid-Wicket.

Dhoni took a single off the next delivery and gave the strike to Jadhav. Jadhav got cleaned up in the process of trying to make room and hit the ball. The final two balls of the over, saw bravo getting a single and Dhoni getting a couple of runs respectively. Dhoni's innings of 10(12 ) without a boundary meant CSK's last 4 overs, Got them only 28 runs.

Chasing CSK's slightly under par score of 170-5, KL Rahul took on the CSK bowlers on his own, While Chris Gayle was a mere spectator at the other end. Rahul got to his 50 at the end of the 4th over, Off the 19th ball, he faced (3rd fastest fifty of the season ) with four fours and five sixes till then.

Gayle was on 4(5) with a four and teams score was 57-1. The powerplay score became 68/0. Harbhajan Singh's bowling was decimated in his "Actual home ground" as he leaked down as much as 41 runs in the first two overs of his spell.

A scenario read that if Kings XI goes on to chase 171 in 14.2 overs and then if Mumbai Indians defeat KKR, CSK would end as the 3rd team in the league table.

Rahul and Gayle fired up to make KXIP reach 100 in exactly 9 overs. At last, Harbhajan picked up the wicket of Rahul when KXIP were already 108 in just over 10 overs and Rahul had scored 71 off 36 with 7 fours and five sixes. The very next delivery saw Chris Gayle hit a half-tracker straight to Shorey at long-on and walk off for a run a ball 28 with 2 fours and 2 sixes. Harbhajan came back to bowl his final over and r took the wicket of Aggarwal as the batsman hit it straight to Jadeja at backward square leg. KXIP were 118/3 in 12.2 at that point.

In his second two-over spell, Harbhajan picked up 3 wickets and gave away just 16 runs. CSK sealed the official slot in the first qualifier As KXIP practically couldn't chase down the target in 14.2 overs. However, There was no stopping Nicholas Pooran, Until Jadeja induced an edge and Dhoni caught it superbly. Poorans 22 ball 36 with 2 fours and 3 sixes, Got Kings XI closer to a solid consolation win.

Sam Curran and Mandeep completed the formalities as Kings XI touched the target by a margin of 6 wickets with 12 balls to spare. KL Rahul got the man of the match award

CSK will face either Delhi Capitals or Mumbai Indians in the qualifier depending upon who would win the last league game between MI and KKR